By L.C. Kjelstrom Water-Resources Investigations Report 87-4063
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ESTIMATES OF GAINS AND LOSSES FOR RESERVOIRS ON THE SNAKE RIVER FROM BLACKFOOT TO MILNER, IDAHO, FOR SELECTED PERIODS, 1912 TO 1983 By L.C. Kjelstrom U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 87-4063 Prepared in cooperation with IDAHO WATER DISTRICT 01 Boise, Idaho 1988 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DONALD PAUL HODEL, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director For additional information Copies of this report can write to: be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey, WRD Books and Open-File Reports 230 Collins Road Federal Center, Bldg. 810 Boise, ID 83702 Box 25425 (208) 334-1750 Denver, CO 80225 (303) 236-7476 CONTENTS Page Abstract............................................... ] Introduction........................................... 2 Purpose and scope................................. 4 Well-numbering system............................. 4 Gaging-station numbering system................... 6 Acknowledgments................................... 6 Previous work.......................................... 6 Geohydrologic setting.................................. 8 Gains and losses computed from water budgets........... 9 American Falls Reservoir.......................... 11 Ungaged inflow............................... 13 Reservoir storage............................ 29 Reservoir leakage............................ 31 Lake Walcott...................................... 38 Milner Lake....................................... 44 Gain and loss analysis....................... 44 Reservoir storage............................ 54 Summary................................................ 53 References cited....................................... 61 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Map showing study area...................... 3 2. Diagram showing well-numbering system....... 5 3. Map showing data-collection sites near American Falls Reservoir.................. IQ 4-13. Graphs showing: 4. Daily inflow from direct precipitation on American Falls Reservoir........... 14 5. Daily rates of evaporation from American Falls Reservoir.............. 15 6. Annual mean ground-water discharge to American Falls Reservoir, 1912-83..... 17 7. Ungaged surface-water inflow sources to American Falls Reservoir.............. is 8. Differences between average monthly ungaged inflow to the Snake River between Blackfoot and Neeley before (1912-25) and after (1951-82) construction of American Falls Dam.... 20 9. Frequency curve for regression residuals of ungaged inflow to American Falls Reservoir as a per centage of combined monthly dis charge of the Snake River at Black- foot and at Neeley, 1952-82........... 25 ILLUSTRATIONS Continued Page Figure 10. Differences between three regression equation estimates of monthly mean ungaged inflow to American Falls Reservoir and ungaged inflow as compiled by water budgets............. 28 11. Increases in daily discharge of Spring Creek above base flow and recorded precipitation at Fort Hall and Pocatello, March 1 to September 30, 1983..... ............................. 30 12. Comparison between water-budget gain or loss and estimated ungaged inflow to American Falls Reservoir based on Spring Creek discharge, March 1 to September 30, 1983.................... 33 13. Standard errors of two daily water- budget estimates of ungaged inflow to American Falls Reservoir from estimates derived from regression equations that relate ungaged inflow to Spring Creek discharge............. 34 14. Map showing Lake Walcott reach of the Snake River..................................... 35 15-19. Graphs showing: 15. Stage of American Falls Reservoir and elevation of water levels in down- gradient wells. ....................... 36 16. Stage of Bonanza Lake and water levels in nearby wells....................... 37 17. Comparison between 5-year moving average gain to Lake Walcott and cumulative departures from mean discharges of Goose Creek near Oakley, 1953-83...... 39 18. Statistical summary of gains to Lake Walcott during low flow in the Snake River, 1935-82.................. 43 19. Map showing Milner Lake reach of the Snake River..................................... 45 20-27. Graphs showing: 20. Outflow from Milner Lake................ 46 21. Mean monthly gains and losses in Milner Lake reach, 1975-83............ 47 22. Standard deviations of gains or losses in Milner Lake and possible discharge- measurement errors in mean monthly discharge, 1975-83.................... 43 23. Water levels in well 9S-25E-23DBA1, water year 1983....................... 51 11 ILLUSTRATIONS Continued Page Figure 24. Five-year moving average of annual mean gain in Milner Lake and water levels in well 9S-25E-23DBA1................. 52 25. Monthly mean gain or loss in Milner Lake for selected months, 1977-82..... 53 26. Water-surface profiles in Milner Lake for a constant reservoir elevation at Milner and two discharges.......... 55 27. Water-surface profiles in Milner Lake for a constant inflow and two reser voir elevations at Milner............. 56 TABLES Table 1. Ungaged surface-water inflow to American Falls Reservoir, 1980...................... 12 2. Average monthly ungaged inflow to American Falls Reservoir and corresponding standard deviations, 1951-82........................ 19 3. Monthly and annual water budgets for water year 1983 used to determine ungaged inflow to American Falls Reservoir................ 21 4. Sources and amounts of ground-water recharge supplying water for spring discharge....... 23 5. Comparison of standard errors of gains com puted from combinations of reservoir stage gages (April 15 to September 15, 1983)...................................... 32 6. Inflow to Lake Walcott, 1951-83.............. 41 7. Surface-water inflow to the Snake River between Minidoka and Milner................ 50 8. Storage-capacity table for Milner Lake....... 57 111 CONVERSION FACTORS For the convenience of readers who may prefer to use metric (International System) units rather than the inch- pound units used in this report, conversion factors are listed below: Multiply To obtain inch-pound unit By metric unit acre 4,047 square meter acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter cubic foot per second 0.02832 cubic meter (ft3 /s) per second foot (ft) 0.3048 meter inch (in.) 25.40 millimeter megawatt-hour 3,600,000,000 joule (MWh) mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer square mile (mi2 ) 2.590 square kilometer Sea level ; In this report, "sea level" refers to the National TSeodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD of 1929) a geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the United States and Canada, formerly called "Mean Sea Level of 1929." IV ESTIMATES OF GAINS AND LOSSES FOR RESERVOIRS ON THE SNAKE RIVER FROM BLACKFOOT TO MILNER, IDAHO, FOR SELECTED PERIODS, 1912 TO 1983 By L.C. Kjelstrom ABSTRACT Croplands in the semiarid central part of the Snake River Plain are dependent on the availability of irrigation water, most of which comes from the Snake River. Allocation of irrigation water from the river requires that gains and losses be determined for American Falls Reservoir, Lake Walcott, and Milner Lake. From 1912 to 1983, average ungaged inflow to American Falls Reservoir, determined from monthly water budgets, was 2,690 cubic feet per second. About 94 percent of this inflow was spring discharge and ground-water seepage; the remainder was from small tributaries and irrigation-return flow. Ungaged inflow estimated from water budgets for various periods correlated favorably with measured discharge of two springs and water levels in two wells. Discharge of Spring Creek was a better indicator of ungaged inflow than ground-water levels. Therefore, correlation with Spring Creek discharge was used in estimating ungaged inflow to American Falls Reservoir in 1983. Daily water-budget calculations of ungaged inflow to American Falls Reservoir are less variable when storage changes are determined by using three stage-recording stations rather than one. Water budgets do not indicate large amounts of leakage from American Falls Reservoir, but small amounts of leakage are indicated because flow in downstream springs increased about 25 percent after reservoir storage began in 1926. Water budgets for Lake Walcott and Milner Lake show average annual net gains (1951-83) to Lake Walcott and Milner Lake of 245 and 290 cubic feet per second. These amounts are verified by (1) monthly water budgets when discharge in the Snake River is low, and (2) measured and estimated sources of inflow. Gains and losses estimated from daily water budgets are variable, owing to inadequate determination of (1) changes in reservoir storage, (2) streamflow, (3) lake-surface precipitation, and (4) lake- surface evaporation. Backwater effects are accounted for in the process used to determine storage in Milner Lake. INTRODUCTION The economy of the semiarid Snake River Plain, southern Idaho, relies heavily on irrigated agriculture. American Falls Reservoir, Lake Walcott, and Milner Lake (fig. 1) supply irrigation water to the central area of the plain. Diversions are made to fulfill established water rights on natural streamflow (without regulation or diversion) and reservoir storage. To determine the amount to be diverted, which depends on the amount available, water managers use water budgets to compute gains to and losses from the Snake River between U.S. Geological Survey gaging stations near Blackfoot and at Neeley (above and below American Falls Reservoir), at Neeley and near Minidoka (above and below Lake Walcott),